Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
by Turtle28
Summary: Because who actually thinks Dimitri isn't going to cause more problems for the Mccords? In this case, one of the worst possible scenarios unfolds.
1. Sooner Surrender

_Who knew how much easier it is to write a story you actually enjoy instead of scholarship essays for college? God knows what you all will think of this, but hey, never know until you try amirite? Don't hold back with your reviews, it's the only way to get better :) Thanks for reading!_

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 _Pop. Pop. Pop…._

The gunshots rang out into the clear, crisp night.

Henry's head immediately swiveled in the direction of the disturbance. Alison's clammy hand had quickly found Jason's in the following seconds as the two turned to each other in utter confusion. Jason could practically touch his sister's fear as he scanned her wide eyes. Both turned when they heard the screech of the kitchen chair across the wooden floors.

"Dad! What're you doing?!" Alison said in a hushed whisper.

"Stay here. Don't. Move." Henry scanned the faces of his children as he slowly backed his way towards the foyer. His mind was racing at an unadulterated pace as panic was creeping in. The uneasy feeling that had accompanied him during dinner had returned and seemed to be more than just harmless worry about his eldest daughter dating the young man who had more baggage than his wife took on a weekend trip back to the farm.

 _Elizabeth._ Henry thought he'd heard the whine of the security door a second time after Stevie and Alexander exited to say their goodbyes. The other of the two DS Agents who hadn't followed his daughter must've gone with Elizabeth to wherever she was. The rest of them? Henry peered into the darkness searching for the usual presence of vehicles in front of the Georgetown home. Something was clearly amiss besides the fact he had heard three gunshots not a minute before.

Against his better judgment, Henry stepped out into the brisk air in search of Elizabeth and Stevie. He had told Alison and Jason to stay put, and he hoped they would follow his commands as he wasn't interested in not knowing the whereabouts of the other two members of his family as well. At the moment, all Henry could think about was finding his wife and eldest amidst the danger that clearly presided.

Slowly, Henry crept down the front steps in order to keep as quiet as physically possible. Upon reaching the final step, Henry nearly slipped but was able to maintain his balance and continue up the sidewalk. _Wait._

"No, that can't be right." he suddenly voiced to no one in particular. Henry stopped in his tracks and began retracing his movements to the bottom step that had been so slick before. "We haven't had rain in 3 weeks and it's fall so there's no way the sprinklers could be wate…"

 _Blood._

Panic was beginning to set in as Henry quickly whirled around and began to sprint. He didn't care who heard him now, he just needed to find the rest of his family.

Not a few hundred yards down the street, Henry knew there was an alley often used as a strategic point by the DS Agents. As he neared the last house before the opening, the faint static of a man's voice could be deciphered.

"201 File collected. I repeat 201 file collected. Proceed to chokepoint."

Henry scoured the dim alleyway for the source of the disturbance. He had immediately recognized the wording as spy terminology, however, he would need Elizabeth's CIA expertise to understand what information could be drawn from the disjointed commands. Lying facedown was a walkie-talkie with branding he didn't recognize. It was unlike anything Matt, Fred, or the rest of his wife's agents had ever owned; but he didn't have time to contemplate its origin. Elizabeth and Stevie took precedence over everything, even if it was intelligence essential to the government. So, Henry padded on through the shadows at a brisk pace.

The alley had led Henry to a tunnel he had been in only once since the family's move to Georgetown. That occasion had been the previous year when they were being stalked, and he had requested the agents map out an escape route in case of an emergency. He hadn't mentioned the tunnel to Elizabeth in fear of her reaction that her usually calm husband was far more spooked about the whole situation than he led on. But that decision seemed to be paying dividends now as he faintly recalled the tunnel's inner workings, and could see the flood of light illuminating the end of the tunnel. He was approaching the slight slope that would lead to open air when…

"Dammit! What the hell?" Henry had hissed as he tripped over something heavy, rendering him face first in the greasy cement below. A jolt of pain coursed through his right wrist which had absorbed the majority of the impact. He picked himself up and peered earthward only to stumble backward in shock.

Alexander Mirnov's, no, Dimitri Petrov's ghost, pallid face stared back at Henry. Dimitri lay face up with blood pooling around his lifeless body. Upon further inspection, Henry could make out a distinct puncture wound in his abdomen. It resembled an injury contrived from some sort of knife or sharp object. This couldn't be happening. Not after everything this kid had been through. After everything HE had been through because of the young Russian. The discovery had made him frantic. He needed to find Elizabeth and Stevie. Now.

He stepped over his former student, only after carefully shutting his eyelids with his trembling hands. Henry once again began advancing towards the street. His heart was pounding with such an intensity he could feel the reverberations throughout his body. His head swam with images of Elizabeth, ones that he quickly attempted to thwart. What if she's dead too? What if Stevie is injured? How am I going to find them?

Just as Henry felt the sensation of fresh air smack his face, he spotted a figure in the distance sprinting towards him at a rapid pace. He began readying himself for a possible attack until he made out the identity of the figure.

"Stevie!" Henry gasped.

"Dad! Dad!" Stevie threw herself into her father's open arms in a desperate hug.

Henry clung to his daughter with relief washing over. She was alive. Breathing. Her heart hammered on his chest while her smell overtook the foul stench of the tunnel. He inhaled the faint trace of sweat and rosemary, the scent originating from her perfume. The perfume she had borrowed from Elizabeth. _Elizabeth._

As if Stevie had heard Henry's thoughts, she abruptly pulled back with fear and tears brimming in her eyes.

"Dad, you need to come with me. Now." It was the uncharacteristic tremor in her usually stoic voice that worried Henry the most.

Stevie grasped his hand and led him quickly around a corner. They found themselves on the cul-de-sac he knew to be three blocks from their house. The paved circle was quiet as the four houses surrounding were lifeless as far as Henry could conjecture. Faded leaves rustled in the fall breeze while the clamor of a wind chime could be heard in the distance. It wasn't until he surveyed the parked Escalade on the curb farthest from where they were standing did he spot the unmistakable blond hair splayed out on the pavement.

"Elizabeth!" He sprinted in the direction of his wife, releasing his steely grip on Stevie's hand. It only took him a few seconds to reach her, but Henry couldn't help but dread what he was about to discover when he got to her in those few moments. He nearly toppled over her as he skidded to a halt and dropped to his knees in order to view her face.

"Elizabeth," Henry whispered as the heat of tears began brimming….


	2. The Tracks of My Tears

_Well hello there you kind souls! Thank you for the wonderful reviews! I really don't know where any of this is coming from considering I've never written a story in my life, but I'm having loads of fun writing it so I hope you're enjoying reading it! I have a very distinct direction I'm going, its just going to be a matter of getting it all on paper now that break is ending :( Patience is a virtue right? ;) PS: Let Bartlet be Bartlet for whoever was wondering about the title_

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She had begun to feel numb sometime in the last two minutes. The pain in her left shoulder subsided into a dull throbbing that continued through her entire upper back. Then there was the sharp sting that was originating from just above her right eye. Accompanied by a blinding pain every time she breathed, her body had clicked into adrenaline or some primal instinct to make it feel better. At least that's what Elizabeth told herself as the awful sensations that were plaguing her just a few moments ago had strangely disappeared. Stevie's voice had faded along with hurried footsteps, so she was currently laying still on the pavement so as not to injure anything more. Her mind was having a difficult time processing the events that had just transpired. It was as if her brain was forcing her into focusing all her attention on the systemic pain she was experiencing in order to formulate a plan to escape the feeling. However, Elizabeth wasn't listening to what her body was desperately signaling her. She was thinking of only one thing, one person. _Henry._ If he could just find her, Elizabeth knew she would be alright. Henry would protect her, help her escape from this personal hell she was now trapped in. Within her jumbled musings, she had assumed that's where Stevie had vanished to. And there was no doubt Henry was searching for her, it was just a matter of how much longer she could fight the desire to abdicate the distress that was of issue.

When she heard the shout of her name in the distance, she yearned to turn her head in search of the origin. She swore it was Henry's voice, but her mind just wasn't processing properly and she couldn't quite be sure. The moment Elizabeth attempted to move, all of the pain she had first experienced during the onslaught of attacks rushed back. She groaned softly and was rendered motionless to await the voice to reach her.

It was his touch that was unmistakable. She was certain it was Henry the moment he rested a gentle hand on her waist in order to shift her onto her back. His concerned gaze reached only her left eye, as blood was now hindering the sight of the other. Despite her mounting fear, she couldn't help but let out a slight chuckle as her one eye scanned the rest of his face. One side was coated with sweat, while the other was covered in dirt.

"Babe?" Henry softly questioned with a perplexed look on his face. What on earth could she be laughing at right now?

"It's just that, well, you look like an Oreo Henry," Elizabeth hoarsely stated.

"Oh my god." Henry couldn't help but laugh. Even after she had just been attacked and was in obvious discomfort, she was still cracking jokes.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" He carefully lifted her head with his other hand and cradled it so it wasn't resting on the ground. Her bloodied eye was bruising already, and tears were forming even as she flashed a tender smile his way.

"Babe, what happened?"

"They came out of nowhere," it was Stevie who spoke. She had jogged to where her parents were and knelt down next to Henry. Her concern for Elizabeth was palpable, and Henry saw the familiar lines of worry on Stevie's face that often plagued Elizabeth when she was distressed. "Alexander and I, we started walking down the sidewalk. To, you know, say goodbye." The sudden color change in her cheeks was obvious. "We were about three houses down when Mom came up behind and asked to have a word with him."

Henry turned to Elizabeth who began speaking but was interrupted by a fit of coughing. The tears were now streaming down her face even as she attempted to maintain a calm, stoic front.

"We need to get you to the hospital. Where are the agents? They must have originally been with you." Henry recalled the odd absence of agents earlier when he first stepped outside.

"It was him," Elizabeth sputtered. She was now clenching Henry's hand in order to distract herself from the torturous pressure every time she took a breath. "The new guy…"

"Derrick," Stevie finished. "The agent assigned last week. He was with Alexander and me, and when Mom came he told Matt and Amelia there was some sort of 'disturbance'," she reinforced the word with air quotes.

"Ok, but that doesn't explain why none of them are here right now." Henry was utterly confused at this point.

"Matt and Amelia refused to leave Mom and totally knew something was up," Stevie continued. "That was when they attacked us."

"They? Who's they?!" Henry was nearly shouting now. His patience had run thin and he wanted answers. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's injuries had other ideas. Henry turned back towards his wife as she began another fit of coughing that was undoubtedly bordering on torture. His fingers, unlike Elizabeth's pain, had gone numb from her squeezing of his hand.

"Henry…" Elizabeth spoke in labored breathes as she squeezed her eyes shut,"Please."

While he needed to hear the rest of the events that had transpired in the last hour, which had rendered Elizabeth agentless and injured, he realized she was in far more trouble than he originally adhered. Her joke had thrown him off, and he mentally kicked himself for becoming sidetracked by the 'how' while Elizabeth was still in danger. It had only been five minutes since he found her, but those five minutes could be the difference between life and death. Gently as possible, Henry wiped away some of the blood that had left Elizabeth blinded in one eye with his thumb. She opened her eyes and gave Henry a slight smile to offer her appreciation. He returned the effort with a soft kiss to her temple that lingered for a moment. Despite her tousled appearance, her skin remained soft. It was the chill of her usually warm skin, and the clammy nature it fostered that worried Henry. He moved one hand to wrap around her shoulder blades and another under her legs. Slowly, he lifted her in his arms, mindful of her pained expression when he shifted his hand down her back in order to stabilize himself. It was in that moment Stevie grabbed his shoulder to direct his attention to the faint sound in the distance. The bellowing of a siren could be easily distinguished in the silence.

Henry again peered at his wife as she nestled her head into his solid frame.

"You hear that babe? Help is almost here." Elizabeth tugged lightly on the lapels of his jacket to demonstrate her acknowledgment of his reassurance. She was in a fit of blinding pain at this point, mainly stemming from her ribs. Yet, she held on to Henry's soothing voice. One that had calmed her countless times before.

"I've got you. Don't worry, I've got you." It was the last thing she heard before darkness took over.


	3. Kingdom of Days

_I told you guys patience was a virtue! Well, here I am, with an extra long chapter to maybe make up for a little of my inactivity. I have the entire story planned out, and its a bit of a wild ride with lots of twists and turns, it just may take a while to get there! Everything gets pieced together little by little, right now you're just getting thrown tons of information! Oh, and of course interactions between Henry and Elizabeth are just downright fun to write. (Especially when you spend another Valentine's Day alone) Anyways, I hope you enjoy!_

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As the wail of the sirens rapidly approached, Elizabeth slipped in and out of consciousness. Henry fretfully glanced down at her, then through the hazy street lamps as Elizabeth mumbled incoherently. A sticky substance was coating his skin for what felt like the millionth time that night, and Henry didn't even have to look to know the glutinous liquid was his wife's blood.

"C'mon C'mon, she needs help!" he uttered under his breath.

"Dad," Stevie's voice brought Henry out of his trance,"where are Alison and Jason?"

 _Oh, God._ He had commanded the two to stay put; in an unguarded house that clearly had a bounty on it.

But before Henry could begin to worry, the ambulance came rumbling down the street. For a split second, Henry panicked at the thought of the vehicle being a decoy of some sort, about to run them over. However, the flashing cab reached a screeching halt beside, not on top of, the three McCords.

In a flash, paramedics were barreling out of the cab's rear with a gurney and other medical equipment in tow. An EMT with soft, gray eyes approached Henry with the intent of taking Elizabeth from his grasp so the medical personnel could tend to her. Rationally, Henry knew this was necessary. Yet, when he looked down at his distressed wife, he felt a sense of pure protectiveness wash over. Something in the way she was curled into his solid frame reminded him of a certain nineteen-year-old UVA freshman. With eyes that resembled stars, and were the gateway to the brilliant mind that lay behind them. Henry was reminded of the first time he encountered that sense of protectiveness…

 **December 1987**

 _The waft of roasted turkey accompanied with the hearty laughter that rang out from the makeshift ice rink had lifted Henry's spirits to an exponential high. His finals were over, holiday spirit was in the air, and he was off to a coffee date with his girl, Elizabeth Adams. The mere thought of her radiant smile sent his heart racing and face reddening._

 _As he weaved his way through towering bookcases towards their usual secluded space in the back of the library, he couldn't contain his budding excitement any longer. Henry nearly flung himself the last few feet in an attempt to surprise his girlfriend. Instead, he found himself looking decidedly ridiculous as the nook was empty. No vacant mugs or dusty books of Elizabeth's were in sight. Not once since they'd been dating, since they'd been friends, had Elizabeth been late to a coffee date. Henry anxiously snaked his way back through the intricate path of bookshelves to the library commons. At that point, Henry was full on sprinting in the direction of Elizabeth's dorms while simultaneously navigating the treacherously icy walkway beneath him._

 _Henry was only about 100 yards from the dorm when he spotted the unmistakable golden locks. Slowing to a hurried stride, he proceeded to a blue park bench where Elizabeth was seated by herself. Only her back was visible, nonetheless, it was clear she was trembling. Whether it be from the cold or crying, Henry had no clue, but he was about to discover the reasoning as he rounded the bench to a sight he'd never forget._

 _Staring blankly ahead, with features void of emotion, Elizabeth sat with tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. She clearly had been in this state long before Henry had arrived, as Elizabeth's eyes were bloodshot, and the skin beneath those usually starry eyes was puffy._

 _"_ _Elizabeth, baby?" Henry crouched so he could be eye level with Elizabeth and tentatively placed a hand on her knee._

 _The touch garnered her attention; leading Elizabeth to quickly turn towards Henry. Wide-eyed and lip trembling, her eyes seemed to be desperately searching his for answers to questions Henry wasn't even aware she was asking. Henry had never witnessed his girlfriend like this. He couldn't understand what had brought upon this state._

 _Gently reaching out to cup her cheek, he immediately noted the eerie chill that seemed to transfer from her skin to his. She continued to stare into his eyes in a way that felt as if she was challenging him to leave her._

 _"_ _Baby, what is it?" She was losing the battle, forcing her to squeeze her eyes shut as she turned away from Henry's worried gaze. This only prompted Henry to lean down further, tilting her chin upwards just slightly._

 _"_ _Hey, look at me," Henry spoke softly,"whatever is hurting you this much is something I want to know. And whatever you tell me, no matter what it is, won't scare me away." His slightly raised brow and tiny uptick in his lips filled Elizabeth with a warmth she had been bereft of all afternoon. Yet when she attempted to explain what was causing so much pain, her voice was incapable of function. Instead, she just found herself looking into the kind, hazel eyes of Henry McCord. He was stroking her cheek in a struggle to wipe away her tears, but the pursuit was futile as in that moment, Elizabeth finally broke._

 _Henry's heart ached as Elizabeth's right hand reached out to grasp his extended arm, while the subdued tears from before had become trembling, painful cries. He immediately pushed himself onto the bench beside her, tightly wrapping his arm around her quivering shoulders. She turned into his solid frame, digging her head into the warmth of his neck with one hand reaching around it, and the other reaching up into his hair._

 _"_ _I know, I know. You're ok, everything's gonna be ok. I promise." Henry squeezed just a little tighter, rubbing up and down her side with his free hand. Her teeth chattered as her muffled sobs continued to reverberate through his chest._

 _"_ _What are y-" Elizabeth questioned with a sense of urgency as Henry had pulled back slightly in order to pull off his jacket and wrap it around Elizabeth. Henry took the opportunity to search her exhausted complexion, noting her continued tears as she stared right back at him with a combination of pain, worry, and fear._

 _"_ _I miss my parents," she spoke so suddenly; almost silently that Henry would've missed it had he not been looking at her. However, it was all he needed to hear to understand why they were sitting on a stone cold park bench in freezing temperatures; instead of snuggling into each other under the cover of bookcases with steaming coffee in hand._

 _"_ _Babe." Henry pulled her onto his lap and she immediately wrapped her arms around his neck, once again digging her face into his warmth. Elizabeth's tears were silent now, cascading by the force of gravity unto Henry, as he rested his chin on her shoulder. It was in that moment, holding her in the shaded twilight of the mostly deserted grounds, that Henry felt a need to protect Elizabeth from everything. Elizabeth Adams was his everything._

Thirty-one years later, Elizabeth McCord was still his everything. Yet he knew, of course, she needed to be placed on the gurney and taken away from him in order to get her back. It just didn't feel right looking down at her bruised eye and busted lip and doing anything but holding her. Hence, Stevie had to pry her away from Henry through Elizabeth-like rationale.

"Dad, you know they're going to take care of her. Nothing else bad can happen, you're with her and I'll be damned if you left her side anytime in the next month."

"Make that three," Henry retorted with a slight glint in his eye as he continued to search his wife. Stevie placed a tender hand on his shoulder, prompting him to place Elizabeth on the gurney. He glanced up at her, then back to Elizabeth, and slowly began laying her down. He had no idea the amount of pain she was in; her whimpers came sporadically at a disarray of times. Henry was most worried about her breathing, and the damage done to her ribs. They were cracked, it was clear, but how many and to what extent? He could only imagine as she had put on one hell of a front when he got to her. Nevertheless, he did what he could, supporting her back and ribcage with one hand, while using the other to cradle her head. Once in place, he was inadvertently shoved from the space, back to where Stevie was speaking to a man Henry had a bone to pick with.

"And where the hell have you been, _Agent,_ " Henry had seized Matt's collar and swung him around so the towering agent could face him. Matt opened his mouth, but Stevie cut in before his explanation was even heard.

"Allison and Jason are in an emergency bunker unharmed, mom's alive, I'm fine, Amelia took a bullet for Jason…" Stevie's tone was warning and reassuring all at once. She knew how frustrated her father was when he was unable to protect their family, but she was not in the mood to break up a fight between an ex-marine and a DS-Agent.

"You can yell at me all you want later sir, but right now I think its best you get in that ambulance with your wife," Matt pointed towards the vehicle where Elizabeth was being lifted into the rear. Henry gave him a pointed look, then motioned for Stevie to join him as she willingly fell into his open arm, waiting to wrap around her shoulder. They walked briskly to the ambulance doors where they were immediately whisked into the cab. Henry climbed in first, turning to extend his hand to Stevie and pull her up as she ducked under the roof. Once she was in, Henry made his way to the seat directly next to Elizabeth's head. He was aware a paramedic was speaking to him, but the young man was no more than Charlie Brown's teacher at this point. All he comprehended was "pain" and "low." Instead, Henry continued to stare at his wife, gently gathering multiple tendrils and tucking them behind her ear. Her brow was furrowed in obvious discomfort, and he would give anything to steal away the agony she was experiencing.

"Dr. McCord, can you hear me?" Henry shook out of his stupor to find a DS Agent with a walkie-talkie in hand and a grave complexion stealing his face. "Do you know anyone by the name of Marissa Singles?" Henry slowly shook his head to convey his lack of knowledge for the name. "Well, she's behind the lack of agents present during the time of the attack. Or part of it anyway." Henry glanced over at Stevie then back towards the agent to continue. " We don't know why the agents were in the locations we found them, but the braking mechanisms on two of the vehicles were tampered with, causing them to—"

"Crash," Stevie finished the sentence for him. The man gave him a quizzical stare, but Henry knew exactly where Stevie was going with her train of thought. And it seemed as if Elizabeth knew as well because she began mumbling and reaching her hand for anything to grab on to. Henry instinctively intertwined their fingers, rubbing his thumb over the delicate skin of hers. The watch he had given her a few months prior was bloodied, with the face cracked and minute shards of glass collapsing inwards. Yet, the clock itself continued to function, with each tick of the hand ringing out in tune with the beating of Elizabeth's heart.

Henry shifted himself up towards Elizabeth's face, their cheeks grazing, Henry's eyes closing with the familiar contact. He continued until he was inches from her ear, whispering softly, "Time won't run out on you babe. Not as long as I'm here."

He could've sworn he felt Elizabeth's fingers tighten around his. He nuzzled himself into her neck, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder, for what felt like the millionth time since that frigid December night in Charlottesville. Neither moved until the ambulance arrived at the hospital.


	4. No More Lonely Nights

A/N: You guys are very determined for me to keep writing this. The story map is set, so hope you can work quickly to solve what's going on! Also, if you haven't figured out, each chapter name is based on a song with the same title. Happy music hunting!

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Peering through the glass separating Elizabeth's room in the ICU from the nurse's station, FBI Director Fordham could see Henry McCord's form hunched over Elizabeth's bed. Henry had just been reunited with his wife after she had undergone surgery for her broken ribs, and the steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound that filled the sterile box of a room. Upon entering, he had immediately intertwined his fingers with Elizabeth's and sat on her right side. Knowing there wasn't any comfortable position he could simultaneously rest and keep hold of his wife, Henry accepted the unorthodox twisting of his spine so that his head rested next to her elbow.

After talking to Alison and Jason on the phone, he was reassured that they were safe in the White House Bunker and would not be touched while he was with Elizabeth. Part of him yearned to have his children at his side, but the FBI discouraged any unnecessary movement of the McCord family until they knew exactly what was going on. Thankfully, Will had driven up from Virginia to stay with Ali and Jason for the night. Henry was comforted knowing that they had a piece of Elizabeth with them at the moment.

Stevie, on the other hand, had received a few stitches on her knee at the hospital. Remarkably, she was relatively unharmed physically. It was the emotional and mental toll that was proving to be difficult for her.

"Dad, this is all my fault! If someone was going after Dimitri because he was an asset, like you said, then I put everyone in danger!" Stevie frantically attempted to explain her wrongdoing while Elizabeth was in surgery.

Henry sighed heavily and gently placed a hand on her arm while saying, "Honey, you did nothing wrong. This is on him, not you. He knew the risks and your mom and I would have stopped the relationship had we known."

Stevie felt the need to argue more but Henry stopped her before she could even start, "Stephanie McCord, all that matters is that you're ok, mom is going to be ok, and Alison and Jason are fine. No one is blaming you."

Henry's words finally struck a nerve as Stevie's emotions got the better of her. Tears bubbled over and her face contorted into anguish. She reached out for her dad, and Henry immediately drew her into a tight hug.

Rubbing his hand up and down her back reassuringly, he whispered, "Sweetheart, you were amazing under pressure. You helped me find your mom and kept it together. You were running on adrenaline. It's ok to let it go now."

Stevie clung on to him even more as the weight of the situation began processing in her mind.

"We're here for the night, so why don't we ask someone to get a cot ready for you in whatever room they're gonna put mom, yea?"

She pulled back and gave her dad a slight smile and nodded in agreement. Before she had a chance to ask though, Henry pulled her back to him and just held his daughter. Both closed their eyes and embraced the comfort the hug provided.

Eventually, Stevie had a random thought and deadpanned, "You know, it takes thirty seconds for hugs to kick in and release the oxytocin hormone in your body."

Henry tilted his head and wordlessly inquired where this had come from.

"Mom told me last week when she wouldn't let me go from a hug."

Henry's eyes welled with laughter as he thought back to all the times Elizabeth would pull his body back to hers for an extra few seconds while embracing.

He put an arm around Stevie's shoulder and lamented, "Yea, your mother tends to give affection in bouts of large quantity. Always has and I'm sure always will."

Henry winked at Stevie and the two made their way to the nurses' station to ask for a cot.

MSMSMSMSMS

With Stevie finally having fallen asleep on the other side of Elizabeth's bed, Henry let himself drift off into a restless sleep. It seemed like only seconds had passed when he felt a hand gently shaking his shoulder.

"Dr. McCord," Henry groggily peered over his shoulder to see Director Fordham speaking, "I have some information about the last few hours I wanted to share with you. Do you want to step outside the room so we don't disturb your family for a few?"

Henry glanced back to Elizabeth and Stevie, then nodded in agreement. As he stood, Henry bent over and readjusted Elizabeth's nasal cannula and softly kissed her forehead. He gently smiled when he noticed her face was no longer clammy like before. He pulled away and made his way through the door and around the corner so he could converse with the Director while still having Elizabeth in his sights through the glass window.

Once he turned to Director Fordham, the gruff man began to speak, "So we have provisional information at best, so I'm going to provide you with as much as I can."

"No disrespect Director, but just give me what you got," Henry pushed.

The Director seemed taken aback by Henry's bluntness, but quickly recovered and continued, "Right, of course. Well, we know that Dimitri Petrov has been kil—"

"Already aware. What else," Henry could feel his frustration bubbling rapidly.

"Russian operatives wanted him dead for treason—"

Henry rolled his eyes as if to say "duh."

"—and Agent Derrick Marks was working an inside job. The two agents on driving duty tonight were Agent Marks and Agent Matt—"

"Yes, yes I know," Henry exasperated, "Derrick had one car and Matt and Amelia were in the other. What I want to know is why neither of them were there when the shots were fired?"

"I was getting to that, Dr. McCord," Director Fordham sternly replied, "Derrick had the one car, and immediately drove off as soon as he heard the original shots fired at Mr. Petrov."

"You think the shots were a sort of signal then?" Henry questioned.

"Yes, that is what we believe. We also believe there were two other men present during the actual operation to kill Mr. Petrov, and one of these men fired the shot. Derrick only took a van and attempted to follow the other two so that they could be picked up after the murder."

Henry felt a shiver course through his veins as the image of Elizabeth and Stevie being confronted by two, physically imposing men ran through his mind.

"Wait, hang on," Henry was confused now, "Why did Elizabeth become involved in this? If they were going after Dimitri, what prompted them to also attack her?"

"Ah yes, well that's where it gets a bit murky and we'll have to speak with the Secretary to understand her side of the story. However, from what Stephanie said, they heard the original gunshots and all three took off running. It looks as if both your wife and daughter were attempting to protect Mr. Petrov from the attack."

With this revelation, Henry ran his hand over his face and through his hair, resting it on the back of his head.

"Of course she tried to save him," Henry muttered under his breath.

"What was that Dr. McCord?"

"N-nothing, just thinking things through," Henry replied, "Is there any other information you have? An agent mentioned someone who may have caused Matt and Amelia to crash?"

"Marissa Shingles," Director Fordham continued, "We believe she's behind the tampering of their car. It is likely this was done to prevent any interference with the attack on Mr. Petrov. We have no reason to believe it was a deliberate attempt to harm either of them, just a way to get them out of the picture for an amount of time. My agent did mention that you and your daughter seemed to come to a similar revelation about the crash? Is there something that you could tell us that you think may be pertinent to the investigation?"

Henry took a moment to recall what was said in the ambulance when it hit him.

"Yes! We, I mean Elizabeth and I, have seen a similar sort of tampering done on a vehicle that would cause a one-car collision."

The Director's brows raised and he quickly clicked his pen in preparation of scribbling notes on his pad.

"When our friend from the CIA, George, died just a few weeks after Elizabeth was sworn in as Secretary of State, it was in the exact same fashion that tonight's crash occurred. I have no idea if that is a coincidence or if some sort of connection could be made, but there's a certain skill that is required to successfully do this."

"Right, understood. We will look into this right away. In the meantime," Director Fordham glanced in the direction of Elizabeth, "I hope that Secretary McCord recovers quickly. She is arguably the brightest piece of America's future."

Taken aback by his words, Henry smiled and offered his hand to the Director in thanks. They shook hands and Director Fordham strode determinedly down the hall.

Meanwhile, Henry quickly returned to his wife's side and began mulling over all of the information that had just been provided. After a few minutes, his mind began mixing details and he took this as a sign to take a break for a while. Holding Elizabeth's right hand in both of his, he brought it up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He continued holding her hand while resting his cheek against it, finding any way to bring her comforting touch to him. Henry felt a tear making its way down his cheek as he surveyed his wife's predicament. The bruising around her eye was painful to look at, and he prayed it wouldn't hurt her too much to open her eyes. All he wanted was to see her, not just her body. He wanted to be able to convey his love for Elizabeth through connected gazes and reassuring touches. He yearned for her to simply be there with him. Her presence and smiles brought so much comfort, and he needed her right now. He needed her to tell him that everything would be alright.

As more tears began to build in his eyes, he felt a soft stroke on his thumb. Looking down, he saw Elizabeth's fingers soothingly running over his. He smiled through the tears.

"Henry," his head snapped up and he saw Elizabeth's non-bruised eye open slightly to observe him.

He broke into a wide grin as Elizabeth hoarsely whispered, "I've got you."

Henry squeezed her hand and scooted the chair as close to the bed as he could.

"We've got each other."


	5. When It Hurts You

A/N: I was going to advance the plot like a responsible author, but instead word vomited a bunch of fluff.

* * *

Henry squeezed her hand and scooted the chair as close to the bed as he could.

"We've got each other."

Elizabeth felt her chest tighten at Henry's proclamation, and the overwhelming nature of the entire situation bore down. She held his gaze and tried to focus on the deep brown of his eyes instead of the physical manifestation of her panic.

"Or was it actual pain?" Elizabeth wondered as she shifted slightly in the bed in an attempt to relieve the burning sensation in her side.

Henry caught on to her maneuvers and interlaced their fingers so that he could regain her attention.

Tilting his head slightly, Henry queried, "Where does it hurt?"

Elizabeth gingerly pointed towards her side farthest from Henry and felt more tears begin to bubble as her thoughts turned to everywhere that was causing discomfort.

"Ok, Babe we can fix that," Henry drew Elizabeth out of her thoughts as he gently reached over her body so that he could help shift her more onto the side that wasn't causing her to have difficulty breathing. Before he could begin moving her, Elizabeth shook their still intertwined fingers lightly so he would look down at her. Henry's nose was inches from her own and she thought it would be rather silly to not take advantage of their current proximity to each other.

"Hi beautiful," Henry whispered as he held himself above her body. He wanted to hold her gaze forever— refuse to leave this moment because it meant he could use his own body to shield her from anything else that could cause harm. He just wanted to keep his best friend safe.

Seeing her tilt her chin up slightly so that their lips were aligned, Henry couldn't help but smile. Her warm breath drew him in like a firefly to a lantern. He closed the gap between them and felt his whole body relax as Elizabeth took his upper lip between hers. Henry could taste the dried blood from the gash at the corner of her mouth, leading him to take control of their kiss. He pulled back slightly only to give himself the ability to fully open his mouth to hers. She reciprocated and Henry absentmindedly pushed Elizabeth deeper into the mattress.

Immediately, she moaned into his mouth while simultaneously pulling back.

"Was that a good or bad sound? I—I didn't mean to hurt you, baby, I just got carried aw—."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes with a smile. "Just help me get off my left side, Henry."

After pressing another kiss to her cheek that left the faint hint of a blush under the bruised skin, he used his right hand to guide her body to rest solely on her right side. He winced when she couldn't hold in a soft whimper of pain but managed to get her in a better position without any major hitch.

"Better?" Henry questioned as he returned to his bedside seat and ran a hand through her hair.

"Yes, thank you…"

Suddenly, Elizabeth's head snapped up as if her conscious had been slammed back into reality.

"Where are the kids?! Oh my god, where's Stevie? I thought she was with me in the tunnel. What about Noodle and Jase, are they ok? H-Henry where are they?"

"Shhh baby they're all ok," he placated as he ran a soothing hand up and down her arm, "Stevie went to grab dinner in the cafeteria with Blake, and Ali and Jason are in the emergency bunker. Everyone is ok, I promise."

Elizabeth scanned Henry's face wildly as the thought of her kids in danger made her want to throw up. In fact, that was about the only thing she could think of doing at the moment.

Realizing what was about to happen, Henry grabbed the plastic bin off the ground and shoved it next to Elizabeth's bed, while using his other hand to jam the nurse's button. The gut-wrenching sounds of her emptying her stomach were accompanied by the hurried footsteps of two nurses entering the room.

"Madam Secretary," one of them spoke as she wiggled her way around Henry and all of the machines to bend down next to Elizabeth, "You're ok Madam Secretary. You're just in shock. Everything is ok. I want you to focus on taking deep breaths and your husband's hand on your back, ok?"

The nurse nodded at Henry as he continued to rub circles on her upper back, not knowing what else he could do to help. He couldn't even imagine the level of pain she must be in while heaving the previous night's dinner considering she was sporting broken ribs and bruised every-things.

"Listen to the nurse, babe. You don't want to tear any stitches."

Eventually, Elizabeth was able to calm herself and her head hung slightly over the bed above the bin. She decided that she felt relatively better after ridding the contents of her stomach. She laid still and reveled in the sensation of Henry's hand continuing its cycle around her back and the newfound knowledge that all her kids were safe. Not with her, but at least safe.

At that very moment, Stevie stepped into the room and was taken aback by the sight before her.

"Mom!"

She rushed over to where the nurse had previously been wedged and took in her mother as Elizabeth gingerly lifted her head to smile at her daughter.

"Hi baby. How are you feeling?" Elizabeth asked as she took in the slight damage to Stevie's face.

"How am I? How am I doing?" Elizabeth chuckled slightly at Stevie's admonished response. "You have got to be kidding me, mom. I have a few scratches while you're over here puking your guts out—"

"Hey now, my guts are perfectly fine. My ribs on the other hand.." At this point, Elizabeth was on the verge of crying of laughter as she watched Stevie smack her hand to her forehead.

"God mom, you are impossible sometimes you know that?!"

"Baby I'm alright. I don't look the part but I'll be fine. If I wasn't making wisecracks at you, then you should be worried, yea?"

Stevie looked towards Henry, only for him to shrug his shoulders in defeated agreement.

"Come here, you two," Elizabeth beckoned with her fingers for both Henry and Stevie to put their hands in hers so she could squeeze them tight.

Three times she repeated the motion.

I. Love. You.


End file.
